988 



the arsenic present was inside the body of 

 the bees. It appears, therefore, that in 

 spraying, while the outside of the body of 

 tlie bee may have received enough arsenic to 

 cause the death of the insect, it remained on 

 the outside, and therefore could have had 

 no more effect than the sprayer experiences 

 from the spray that falls on the coat. 



We feel justified, from the results secured 

 ill these experiments, in holding that there 

 is no danger to bees from spraying opera- 

 tions with insoluble arsenicals; and that 

 reports to the contrary, of extensive losses 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



to beekeepers, are without foundation. The 

 recent account of losses in Colorado (Foster 

 in Gleanings^ Oct. 15, 1914, p. 798) could 

 not have been due to arsenical i^oisoning 

 because the symptoms described are entirely 

 different. We have experimented very ex- 

 tensively with arsenical poisoning, with a 

 large variety of insects, and have never, in 

 any case, produced swelling; nor have poi- 

 soned insects ever shown the kind of activity 

 tliat bloated bees always exhibit, and which 

 was referred to in the same article. 

 University of California, Oct. 21. 



SHAKING BEES FROM COMBS FOE EXTRACTING 



BY GEORGE SHIBER 



A phase that has grown monotonous with 

 me this fall is, " We have no honey for 

 sale. This has been the poorest season I 

 ever had — a complete failure." So day 

 after day my old customers come on foot, 

 in buggies, and automobiles for honey ; and 

 to all I have to pass out the distasteful 

 phrase. I am hoping that I shall not have 

 to say it next year; for I have had practice 

 enough repeating it this year; and — say! 

 I have been having experience in getting 

 mail orders with checks enclosed, and hav- 

 ing to return them. 



I am learning something new about bee- 

 kee^jing this year. The problem in the past 

 was, how to get the buyers ; now it is how to 

 exjDlain the failure; so, as I say, I hoi:)e I 

 can lay the phrase pei'manently away next 

 season. We have had plenty of rain late 

 this i^ast season, so next year may make 

 good again as usual. 



The above was not what I intended to 

 write about when I sat down (it's the truth, 

 though) ; but about that article by '' Out- 

 law," page 864, Nov. 1, on taking off honey 

 and extracting; it is good, and there are 

 many good practical points in it. The most 

 satisfactory way of taking off honey, and 

 extracting too, is the way which has the 

 least number of false motions and fussing. 

 In taking off honey I use a wheelbarrow 

 that holds two twelve-frame bodies; and 

 when full I run them into the shop and then 

 get another load, and so on. I never use a 

 broom or brush of any kind. I used to, but 

 found the brush caused unnecessary Avork. 

 I simply take oft" the cover, using plenty of 

 .smoke; put a cloth over combs that rolls at 

 the edge as fast as the combs are taken out. 

 Shake each comb down in front of the 

 entrance. This shaking bees off from heavy 

 combs is hard work unless we do it just 

 right; but if done properly the weight of 

 the comb will do the work itself. 



How is it done? By taking hold of the 

 top-bars with both hands in the usual way, 

 and letting the comb drop, pushing it down- 

 ward with the hands; then aim to stop the 

 comb within six or eiglit inches of the 

 ground in front of the entrance. When 

 starting to stop the comb I push down with 

 one hand and raise the comb a little with 

 the other, with a slight jerk; this is done 

 very cjuickly without any fussing or foolish- 

 ness. No, it does not clean all of the bees 

 from the comb. They will soon fly to the 

 screen window in the shop, so they are out 

 of the way. When the extracting is done a 

 rew colony can be made of the cluster of 

 bees. I used to use a broom, and brush 

 each comb ; but I <]uit it some time ago 

 because it was extra work tliat I got no pay 

 for. 



The Outlaw's remarks about taking care 

 of empty combs from the extractor are 

 good. I do not know of any thing that will 

 " tear one's nerves to slirecls " like being a 

 little careless in handling combs. For in- 

 sJance, in the hurry, if a few combs are 

 left against the wall or the floor, and then 

 more combs from the extractor, these piled 

 against them, soon they commence to slide, 

 or a foot goes through one, and they keep 

 piling up, and so general misery and hatred 

 of extracting follow. The rule I observe is 

 to put empty combs into hive-bodies as soon 

 as taken from the extractor when the body 

 is full, while the combs are spinning in the 

 macliine. This is piled up at the side of the 

 'shop, and another emptj^ body taken to hold 

 moi'e combs. We always find great satis- 

 faction in keeping every thing picked up 

 and finished as we go along, and in that way 

 we can accomplish more with less labor than 

 to I':'t things slip and slide around "every 

 wliicli way." 



Kandolph, N. Y. 



